The New Normal Trilogy is set in a Hoboken, New Jersey, dining spot that has three different proprietors over the course of 15 years following the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
This fast-paced, 90-minute play takes place in real time as the neighborhood transitions, with new owners and new customers.
The all-night diner in 2001, Lou's 24/7, becomes the Oasis Cafe in 2009, following the country's economic collapse and the election of President Barack Obama. The business changes owners once again in 2016 when it transitions to a hipster coffe shop in the now-gentrifying neighborhood. Through all the changes, however, one constant remains: fear of "the other."
Cast:
2 W and 3 M can play all the parts ... (Act 1, 2001) Bunny, a young woman in her 20s; Foxy, a well-worn middle-aged woman in her 40s; Man, a gentleman who appears Middle Eastern ... (Act 2, 2008) Sera, a Middle Eastern-American woman in her 30s; Manny, a Middle Eastern-American man in his 30s; Dick, a scruffy Southerner in his 40s; Don, a slightly built man in his 30s ... (Act 3, 2016) Dexter, a hipster in his mid-20s; Mickie, a lesbian writer in her mid-20s; Adira, a Middle Eastern-American woman in her early 20s.
Tony, an Italian-American male in his 30s